Auteur – a French word used to describe a film director who influences their films so much that they rank as their author. Auteur directors generally have a certain style from film-to-film and often perform other roles besides directing such as: writing, editing, and acting in their own films.

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Andrew Sarris, a film critic for The New York Times, set out a complete definition for auteurs according to three main criteria:

1. Technical competence: Auteurs have to be at the top of their craft in terms of technical filmmaking abilities and should always have a hand in multiple components of filmmaking.

2. Distinguishable personality: Auteurs are separated from other technically gifted directors with their unmistakable personality and style – you can see shared filming techniques and consistent themes being explored between an auteur’s films.

3. Interior meaning: Auteurs make films that have layers of meaning and have more to say about the human condition. They go beyond the pure entertainment films produced by large studios, to instead reveal the filmmaker’s unique perspectives and thoughts on life.